Wrestlers protest: Chargesheet filed against WFI chief, Delhi Police recommends cancellation of POCSO case

Delhi Police filed a chargesheet against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for offences of sexual harassment and stalking.

The Police have also recommended cancelling of charges under POCSO Act. The case was based on the allegations made by a minor wrestler’s father who has since recorded a fresh statement withdrawing the sexual assault charges. The police have cited no corroborative evidence for their recommendation.

Additional Sessions Judge Rajinder Singh in Patiala House court (New Delhi) put the cancellation report for consideration on July 4.

“In the POCSO matter, after the completion of the investigation, we have submitted a police report under section 173, CrPC, requesting for a cancellation of the case based upon the statements of the complainant i.e the father of the victim and the victim herself,” a Delhi Police statement read.

The government had assured protesting wrestlers that the charge sheet in the case would be filed by June 15, following which they had suspended their stir.

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) entails a minimum imprisonment term of three years. However, it is subject to the section under which the crime is falling.

The minor wrestler’s father had reportedly said he filed a false case against the WFI chief because his daughter lost in the 2022 Under-17 Asian Championship trial.

In the other cases, the Delhi Police have filed a chargesheet against the WFI chief under Sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment) and 354-D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Vinod Tomar, suspended WFI assistant secretary, has been charged under Sections 354, 354(A), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 109 (abetment of any offence, if the act abetted is committed in consequence, and where no express provision is made for its punishment) of the Indian Penal Code.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Kumar at Rouse Avenue court put up the charge sheet for June 22 for consideration.

As per news agency PTI, the wrestlers, who have demanded arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, are contemplating their next move following the filing of the charge sheet.

Two FIRs were registered against Singh in May after India’s top wrestlers including Olympic medal winners Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat started a protest on 23 April over allegations of sexual harassment against the WFI chief.

The Special Investigation Team has questioned over 180 people and also went to Singh’s residence in Gonda where it recorded statements of the outgoing WFI chief’s relatives, colleagues, house staff and his associates.

The investigators also took a woman wrestler to the residence of Singh in New Delhi to recreate the sequence of events that led to the alleged crime.

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